The most important thing in battle is not getting killed. Then you worry about killing the enemy. Simple in theory, not simple in practice. It is mostly common sense but it is amazing how many people lack common sense.

Being shot is the last thing anyone wants to happen to them. It hurts and can be very fatal. The best way to avoid getting shot and killed is to not attend the war. Unfortunately this is not always a choice.

Another method to avoid getting shot is to prevent the enemy from seeing you. If he doesn’t know you are there he can’t shoot you right?

Okay. You have to shoot him, that is your job and by shooting at him he quickly learns that you are there. The enemy is mostly likely just like you, he doesn’t want to get shot and killed and his job is to shoot you.

Now you both know the other person is out there. You may not always know exactly where the other person is however. Standing out in the open lets the enemy find you and shoot you quickly. Getting behind a bush delays the enemy from figuring out where to shoot at. Bullets go through bushes and if the enemy guesses right you get shot and that is very bad.

To avoid having the enemy get lucky you have to get behind something that can stop bullets, like a rock, a car, ect. Simple stuff.

If the enemy knows where you are he can still aim and shoot you if you keep trying to shoot him. You can aim too. However, by aiming you are taking the chance that the enemy will get lucky and shoot you first so you will probably try to be quick about shooting at the enemy. Quick does not mean accurate, but the enemy is probably in the same situation so neither one of you is very accurate.

In order to fire effectively at the enemy several firing requirements must be met.

1. He must be able to find and know where you are.

2. He must have a target to shoot at. He can know you are behind a car but that doesn’t mean he can shoot you unless you give him something (like your head) to shoot at.

3. He must be able to aim. If you don’t aim your accuracy will suffer dramatically.

This is where tactics come into effect. The best marksman cannot hit the broad side of a barn if he is not willing to take a shot at it. An enemy machine gunner cannot shoot you if he is not willing to expose themselves and fire at you. Sticking your gun out of cover and firing blindly is still a dangerous thing to do because you might get a hand shot off. Besides, it is very unlikely you will hit anything.

By firing more bullets you might intimidate the enemy and ruin his aim. By firing more bullets you might even get lucky but probably not. If the enemy gets scared and gets behind something that stops bullets you can take your time to aim and wait for him to stick his head out. When he does stick his head out to see where you are at, you can drill him right between the eyes.

Make it harder for the enemy to see you and you make it harder for him to shoot you, period.

This is where teamwork comes into play. One on one is not a battle, it is a fight. A battle involves multiple opponents. One of my favorite sayings is “Teamwork is essential, it gives them someone else to shoot at.” If they are shooting at someone else they are not shooting at you. However, you have a duty to the person who is being shot at to make the enemy stop. He would do the same for you right?

When the enemy is not shooting at you then you can take the time to aim at the enemy and fire accurately. A lot of confusion comes from the fact that nobody knows who is being shot at or where the enemy is. The enemy may not see all of your team, just a few individuals. If he doesn’t see you he isn’t shooting at you. . .

If the enemy is shooting he is easier to find. Follow the noise and muzzle flash, then shoot there. You get the picture.

The enemy might see you and fire at you. You can stand in the open and pretend to be Rambo for the brief period of time it will take for the enemy to shoot you or you can take countermeasures.

Countermeasures will make it harder for the enemy to see and shoot you. They will give the enemy less of a target to shoot and may confuse him. Countermeasures don’t work if you remain stationary and they are called Evasive Movement. Key word ‘Movement’.

Here is a list of Evasive Movements that are taught.

1. When moving under fire zig-zag randomly. This gives the enemy less time to acquire sight alignment and sight picture. Make sure you don’t ‘zig’ in front of a buddy or you might get shot in the back.

2. When stopping, do so behind full or partial cover (a bush is concealment, not cover because bullets go through bushes). It makes you harder to find and hit.

3. Move from cover to cover and don’t be predictable because all the enemy has to do is aim and wait for you to run into his sights.

4. When firing from behind cover, change firing positions/places to keep the enemy from aiming where you will appear. Confuse him, remain unpredictable.

5. After diving for cover do not return fire from the same place you dived in. The enemy will be expecting that.

6. Lie down or kneel whenever possible. It reduces your silhouette and what the enemy can shoot at.

7. Don’t look over objects, look around them. You may see less but it makes it harder for the enemy to see you.

8. Roll instead of crawling. It is faster and keeps you lower where there less target to shoot at.

9. Don’t let your shape be silhouetted, it makes you easy to recognize and if the enemy recognizes you will shoot you.

10. Right handed firers should fire around the right side eof cover, it keeps more of you safe. If you have to fire around the left side of something you might consider firing left handed.

11. When firing around the right side of a corner, or tree, the right foot should be placed against the object, just out of view of the enemy. This forces the shooter to lean to the right, exposing less of his body. Amateurs may step out of cover a little bit to fire, thus exposing themselves from the head down to the feet.

12. Do not move and fire at the same time. Even with a machinegun this is very inaccurate. Besides, it slows you down while you are in an exposed position.

13. Keep moving. It makes the enemy have to look for you and try to predict what you are up to. Besides , if you stay stationary too long he is going to send someone to flank you.

14. Reload only behind full cover.

15. Scan the area to your front as well as sides, rear and up, avoid tunnel vision. The main reason flanking is so effective is because of tunnel vision.

16. Don’t get so suppressed you won’t peek out of cover. The enemy might walk up and shoot you.

17. Use cover and concealment whenever possible, when running OR taking cover. The enemy can’t see you coming if there is a tree between the two of you.